Hi! I’m Amanda, a writer, editor, content developer, educator, and storyteller.
I tell stories with words and photographs, and I help others tell their stories too.
This is my story….
As a writer, editor, and content developer, my work has spanned multiple industries and genres over 25 years. I’ve worked in both the high-tech industry and academic publishing, and my projects have ranged from writing marketing copy and newsletters to editing academic journals to developing content for textbook companion websites.
My most recent work has been more personal in nature, developing recipes and writing personal essays and stories through the lens of food on my blog, Wholesome Family Kitchen. My recipes and essays (and some of my food photography) have been featured in Parents magazine, t.e.l.l. New England journal, and various food-focused websites and social media channels.
As much as I love writing and telling stories, I love teaching writing and helping others tell their own stories even more. In my early career, I honed my teaching skills as a Lecturer in the English Department at Northeastern University, teaching First-Year Composition, Business Writing, and Technical Writing, and also as a Writing and Research Tutor. Years (and two kids) later, I returned to the classroom again, but instead of teaching undergrads how to format a bibliography page or analyze a poem, this time I was teaching middle-school students about my other favorite subject: how to make nutritious, delicious food!
More recently, I’ve found myself sharpening my writing-professor skills once again, guiding my son through the many, many essays he wrote for his college and scholarship applications, which has renewed my passion for teaching and coaching young writers. I’ve since happily agreed to help a few other college-bound students with their application essays as well, a pursuit that I’ve found immensely fulfilling and—dare I say—fun! I truly enjoy working with teens and young adults, helping them discover the power of writing their own stories and guiding them through the writing process, whether it’s brainstorming ideas, choosing a topic, finding and expressing their unique voice, organizing their thoughts into words, polishing a final draft—or all of the above!
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, need help with a writing project, or would like to discuss how we could work together. I can be reached at amanda@amandabarker.net.
“Storytelling comes naturally to humans, but since we live in an unnatural world, we sometimes need a little help doing what we’d naturally do.”
— Dan Harmon
Relevant Skills
Eagle-eyed, meticulous editor with keen attention to detail
Skilled wordsmith, grammar nerd, and Oxford comma advocate with strong command of English language
Insightful, curious, and empathetic questioner and compassionate, attentive listener
Accomplished list-maker with exemplary organizational and project-management skills
Avid reader, cookbook and magazine collector, bookstore and library patron, and lifelong bibliophile
“Whenever I’m asked what advice I have for young writers, I always say that the first thing is to read, and to read a lot. The second thing is to write. And the third thing, which I think is absolutely vital, is to tell stories and listen closely to the stories you’re being told.”
— John Green